“In the course of the investigation the prosecutor's office may question Snowden through the Russian consulate,” he said.

The possibility of questioning Snowden as a witness was mentioned earlier, on Sunday, by German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. She said the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office would have to consider the issue, if the spying allegations proved correct and a case was opened. There would be “no major obstacles”, she said.